CNN, Yale and Cesco aren’t just household names, they’re fashion darlings.

If you’re walking down the streets of Korea and you see him wearing a T-shirt with the CNN logo boldly emblazoned across the front, don’t be shocked. No, CNN is not “spoiling” the fashion world. Instead, the Korean fashion world is taking inspiration from other brands’ logos, especially logos that have nothing to do with the fashion industry.

Recently, local fashion companies have been using the logos of well-known brands to create clothing collections after obtaining their licenses or as part of collaborations. In turn, logo-based clothing is becoming increasingly popular among Korean consumers.

Yale University, CNN, Billboard, National Geographic, Kodak and Major League Baseball (MLB) are just a few of the many examples.

Words Corp., which launched in 2020, has announced sales of more than 10 billion won ($7.69 million) for its Yale brand, which offers t-shirts, pants, hats and socks, in 2021 alone. Yale University logo.

In the year Sales in 2021 are five times higher than last year.

The brand is so popular that it is currently the third best-selling brand in local online fashion retailer Musinsa Yale. It is better than Adidas and Nike which are placed at number 4 and 5 respectively.

Local fashion companies Nature Holdings and F&F, which launched clothing brands National Geographic Apparel and Discovery-Extension, have proven their popularity over the years with casual clothing and accessories. After the brands legally acquired the rights to use the logos of the American documentary channels, they stamp them on their clothes.

Last year, Nature Holdings said it would expand its business into China after signing a memorandum of understanding with Danish fashion house Besler, one of the top five fashion companies in China. There are more than 7,000 stores operated by Bestseller in the country.

Stone Global, a local sportswear brand, launched CNN Apparel in January last year – the first ever licensed apparel brand by a media company. CNN Apparel is described as an outdoor lifestyle brand and uses the slogan “Go Out There”. The clothing is focused on casual look and comfort.

“It has been granted. [apparel] Brands have their own unique concepts that match the original logo concept,” a CNN Apparel insider told Korea JungAng Daily. For example, Discovery-expedition goes under the theme of exploration, National Geographic apparel is about nature, Snowpeak apparel is camping, and Kodak apparel is photography.

“Go There” is CNN’s weekly news show featuring reporters discussing cultural, political and economic news. CNN Apparel hopes customers can “freely step outside into their taste.”

In other cases, some fashion companies launch small clothing collections for a limited time.

Musinsa left a limited group of “Cesco Group” after merging with Cesco – a Korean pesticide and pest control business.

“While everyone knows what Cisco is and what it does, they haven’t had the opportunity to connect with the public. Especially the younger generation,” a Mucinsa insider told Korea JungAng Daily. “Sesco was looking for a way to create a more friendly image and we ended up collaborating on clothes.”

The idea of ​​wearing a shirt with the logo of a company known for exterminating cockroaches may seem a little absurd, but such merchandise is associated with creating fandom.

“There are bound to be fans of both a K-pop singer and a popular TV show, and merchandise is made to target these fans,” said pop culture critic Jeong Dek-hyun. “That is, a logo is associated with a brand image. Korea is a country that feeds on fandom stuff.

Young Koreans have long been drawn to logos — sportswear brands like Nike and Adidas, for example, and luxury fashion brands like Gucci and Prada. But how have these brands expanded into universities and news outlets?

Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, told Korea Jungang Daily, “If ordinary people walking down the street see someone like Yell wearing a T-shirt or a hoodie, they will look again.” “Did he go to Yale?’ They wonder. From the consumer’s perspective, they want to feel a sense of ownership or to demonstrate that they have an experience of being somewhere. They want to value their memory, and they want to show it off. This leads to the ultimate goal of being satisfied with how they present or feel about themselves.

Another reason is that Korea is thought to have a culture based on protecting reputation and honor or power by avoiding doing anything to “lose face.”

“A long time ago, no matter how hungry your family was – the father would still pick his teeth with a toothpick to pretend he had eaten meat,” Professor Lee said. “It is important for Koreans to think about their names and how they look to others.”

“These brands use the fact that they have an admirable image among the public, just like Yale has a very prestigious and intellectual image, and this is reflected in fashion,” the critic Jing continued. “It might be a little embarrassing to think that Seoul National University’s varsity jacket or KBS jacket is sold in other countries and worn frequently.”

Professor Lee pointed out that there is a difference between the Korean brands mentioned above and the non-Korean logos, which create a global image.

“Another tendency is that Koreans have illusions about them, so they prefer things from abroad,” she said. They want to explore the unknown. So wearing logos from overseas brands is one way to start dreaming bigger and better. As for Seoul National University, honestly, anyone can buy it by visiting the school’s souvenir shop!”

So the next time you see a Yale sweater in Korea, don’t immediately assume that person went to Yale University—it might just be a way to get involved in Korea’s latest trend.

By Shin Min-hee [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]